Fuse mechanism for projectiles.



Patented Sept. 19, 1916.

anyone/1 o H. F. LOOMIS. FUSE MECHANISM FOR PROJECTILES.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 31.1916.

UNTATED ear 1:

HENRY F. LOOIVIIS, OF READING, PENNSYLVANIA.

FUSE MECHANISM FOR IPROJ'EGTILES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 19, 1916.

Application filed March 31, 1916. Serial No. 87,884.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY F. LOOMIS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Reading, in the county of Berks and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fuse Mechanism for Projectiles, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to explosive shells; and it consists in improved means for tim ing the explosion relative to the moment of discharge from the gun, as fully described in connection with the accompanying drawings and the novel features of which are clearly defined in the claims.

Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of a portion of a projectile embodying my invention in preferred form. Fig. 2 is a frontend view of the same. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the fuse-block; the fuse-intersecting openings in the noseportion of the shell being indicated by dotted circles. Figs. at and 5 are plan views of the separately formed base portion of the fuse-block, and of the securing ring employed. Figs. 6 and 7 are detail views of the fuse-igniter.

The body portion 5 of the shell is formed with a bursting-charge chamber 6 as usual; and the separately formed nose-portion 7 is rigidly screwed into the interiorly screwthreaded circular flange 8 thereof, against a centrally apertured partition wall 9, as indicated. The nose-portion 7 is of ordinary conical form exteriorly, and is hollowed out interiorly to form a fuse-block chamber 10, and provided with a series of fuse-ignition openings 11, 11, 11 into said chamber; these openings being symmetrically grouped around the point of the nose, and extending approximately parallel with the axis of the shell, and each of them being adapted to selectively receive the fuse-ignition device hereafter described.

The fuse-block is adapted to carry a timefuse connection between each of the openings 11 and the bursting-charge chamber 6, and is preferably secured to the nose-portion 7 in two parts 12, 12*, as shown; the part 12 fitting against the conical inner wall of the chamber 10 and being secured to the nose 7 by a screw-attached ring 13, and the separately removable base part 12 having a central primencontainer 18 arranged in communication with the chamber 6 and forming the terminus of the time-fuse connection to openings 11. The time-fuse connection indicated consists of a single flexible fuse, 15, which is coiled upon the surface of the fuse-block part 12 in a groove 16 formed therein, so that difierent portions of its length will be intersected by the respective openings 11, while its lower end is embedded in priming material provided in the primerchamber 18; the essential effect produced being to provide a different length of fuse between the respective openings 11 and the common primer chamber, whereby the ignition of the fuse through a determined one of said openings will provide a desired timeinterval between such ignition and the explosion of the bursting charge.

The fuse-igniter device illustrated in Figs. 6, 7, comprises a tubular casing 20 open at both ends, and formed, as shown, with an interior shoulder 21. Inserted in this casing is a blank-cartridge-explosive 22 seated against said shoulder; a spring 23, bearing upon the cartridge; anda loosely-fitted plunger 24 normally carried by said spring and provided with a pointed lower end or tip 25 adapted to explode the cartridge when forcibly moved into contact with the latter. A cross-bar 26 at the top of the casing forms a stop and guard for the spring-pressed plunger. The entire device is adapted to be tightly placed in one or another of the ignition openings 11, as determined by the length of time-fuse to be used; and to operate in exploding the cartridge 22 by the inertia of the plunger 24 at the moment of discharging the projectile from the gun.

The construction specifically shown and described may be readily modified in detail without departing from the invention as defined in the claims.

What I claim is:

1. An explosive shell having a burstingcharge chamber, a nose portion provided with a plurality of fuse-ignition openings, interior time-fuse connection between said chamber and the several openings, and a detonating fuse-igniter selectively placed in one of said openings.

2. An explosive shell having a burstingcharge chamber, a. nose portion provided with a plurality of fuse-ignition openings, an interior time fuse having one end arranged in communication with said chamber and different points in its length with a plurality of said openings, and a detonating fuse-igniter selectively placed in one of said openings.

3. An explosive shell having a. burstingcharge chamber, a separately formed conically-hollowed nose portion having a plurality of fuse-ignition openings, a fuseblock in said hollowed nose-portion having a flexible fuse arranged With one end in communication with said bursting-charge chamber and difi'erent points in its length With said openings, and a detonating fuse-igniter selectively placed in one of said openings.

l. An explosive shell having a burstingcharge chamber, a separately formed coni- (tally-hollowed nose portion having a plurality of fuse -ignition openings, a fuseblock in said hollowed nose-portion having a primer chamber arranged in communication with said bursting-charge chamber and a flexible fuse communicating at different points in its length With said openings, and a detonating fuse-igniter selectively placed in one of said openings.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

HENRY F. LOOMIS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

